Who is Pat LaFrieda?

Not many meat purveyors have risen to the status of celebrity butcher. But LaFrieda Jr. isn’t like most others in his industry. He grew up under the tutelage of his father, who taught him the tricks of the meat trade from sunrise to sundown starting at the ripe age of 10. Although not intending for his son to become a permanent fixture in the family business, LaFrieda Jr. soon became fascinated with the work. And now, 28 years later, he owns and operates New York City’s most prestigious and valued meat packing facility.

What’s so special about his meat?

For starters, Pat LaFrieda Meat Purveyors only deals with the top 10% of meat that is produced domestically.

“Prime meat is only 4% of what this country produces, and we are only selecting the top 10% of that,” explains LaFrieda Jr., whose meat is certified humane, all-natural, grass-fed, and grain-finished.

Unlike most common meat blends, his are chopped, not ground. Because “when you use good quality cuts of beef and grind it at cold temperatures, it doesn’t actually grind it” says LaFrieda Jr., “it chops it. Ground beef is overworked so it’s very pasty with no texture and ends up flavorless.” Chopped meat, on the other hand, boasts an impressive depth of flavor to transform your ordinary burger into an exceptional one.

LaFrieda Jr.’s top-quality custom blends have made their way onto the menus at Minetta Tavern (deemed the best steakhouse in NYC), Shake Shack, Spotted Pig, Union Square Cafe, Blue Smoke, and Market Table. Oh — and as of 2014, his meats became the official burger of the New York Mets at Citi Field.

But don’t just take our word for it. Hear from Pat himself about what makes his meat so special.

Tell me more about this burger!

LaFrieda Jr. has created a custom HelloFresh blend specifically for next week’s burger recipe, which means “for the first time, home cooks will be able to use product that only restaurants have been able to use previously.”

In order to let the meat shine, we’re keeping the toppings simple. Just a slathering of garlicky aioli and some sweet balsamic onions. And when it comes to the side, we’re switching things up with roasted cauliflower that gets a crispy boost from panko breadcrumbs.

30 minutes is all it takes for this winning burger to come together, but we have a feeling you’ll gobble it down in far less time than that.